Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Camping

The day after we were to arrive home from Key West, we planned to head out on a 3 day camping trip to Yogi Bear Campground. Well, bad weather wreaked havoc on planes flying into Baltimore and a long story short, we got a bonus night of vacation in balmy Baltimore. So that meant the day we flew home, we also were departing on a camping trip. In hindsight, perhaps allowing 48 hrs. in between would have been wiser, but live and learn. Borrowing my brother's awesome camper(w/potty and running water, and even air conditioning!) we braved the great outdoors.

Just what we all needed to re-bond together after our 5 day getaway. The campground is great for kids. Water park, boats, pedal carts, pool, miniature golf, all in a not-too-big but not-too-small campground.

Plus, we got to go with another awesome family. Rylie and Adalyn just happened to be born on the same day and here they sit on the docks looking for fish.

The older 2 girls loved playing with their good friend Camryn.

And I loved playing with my very good friend, Kerrianne.

Cody(aka: Doo-Doo I'm not kidding, that's what Rylie started calling him one day and it stuck), now 16(!), was such a help with the little ones and such a cool guy to hang out with. It made me want to rent my own teenager, though I have heard that if they belong to you, they are not always so helpful.

Daily we went on Heyrides(seriously loud person leading camp songs as they drive a large trailer full of overtired kids and underslept parents).

And to keep the whining to a minimum, we even rented a golf cart to ferry all our little tired legs to and from the water park back to our campsite.

It was a perfectly relaxed enjoyable weekend with some great friends.(Notice that all of the Bader's children seem to love getting close to Yogi. Not so for the Kelly crew, who barely got within touching distance before turning tail and running.) It was full of S'mores, and campfires, and no schedules, and easy conversation.

Sadly, a day after we returned from our camping adventure, Kerrianne's father, at age 64, had a major heart attack. After a 4 day coma, he passed away. I have known their family all my life and remember her Father with a big smile on his face and a booming voice. It is so hard the way life can be so simply wonderful one minute and so devastating the next. But I suppose without our lows, we would never be able to truly appreciate the highs. My heart goes out to my dear friend and her family. I feel like we are too young to lose any of our parents, but I suppose life does not hand out any guarantees. I know they will all miss him terribly and that the days and months ahead will be so challenging. But their family is full of strength and their attachment to each other is palpable. I wish them peace as they go forward from here.